Fury at council prayers ban

A ROW has flared after it was revealed a mayor will scrap prayers before council meetings. Robin Parker will do away with the decades-old tradition when he takes over as Rochdale's first citizen next year. He claims a collective act of worship has no place in a secular debating chamber - and says prayers can exclude politicians of other faiths. Critics accused him of `pushing God out of the public arena' and setting a dangerous precedent for the rest of the country.

A ROW has flared after it was revealed a mayor will scrap prayers before council meetings.

Robin Parker will do away with the decades-old tradition when he takes over as Rochdale's first citizen next year.

He claims a collective act of worship has no place in a secular debating chamber - and says prayers can exclude politicians of other faiths. Critics accused him of `pushing God out of the public arena' and setting a dangerous precedent for the rest of the country.

Coun Parker - a confirmed Anglican who once trained for the Methodist ministry - said he was giving notice that no prayers would be said during his year in office.

He claimed council meetings, with their `vitriolic' point-scoring and scripted contributions, were no place for God.

"In my view, it is totally out of order to ask the blessing of a deity on something which has been so predetermined," he said. "Political groups will have met beforehand and determined their positions. Points will be scored in an atmosphere that can sometimes become vitriolic."

He added: "It seems rather like saying prayers and giving thanks before going off to war. It does not seem right to me.

"You have to ask what these meetings are about and how they are conducted."

Coun Parker said he had been at meetings where five Muslim councillors had been `excluded' by the saying of the Lord's Prayer.

He said: "It is a secular event and I don't think prayers are appropriate."

Saying prayers before full council is a tradition upheld in all 10 Greater Manchester authorities. They are led by a chaplain appointed by the mayor, who can be of any faith.

When Afzal Khan became Manchester's Lord Mayor in 2005 he appointed four chaplains of different religions - Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh - who led prayers in rotation. Coun Parker said he would not be appointing a chaplain and would instead have a multi-faith `chaplaincy'.

That will have representatives from the four main faiths in Rochdale - Catholic, Anglican, Free Church and Muslim.

Father Paul Daly, priest at St Joseph's in Heywood said: "This is getting rid of one of the few religious elements in public life.

"Once abandoned, it will be hard to restore.

"He appears to be saying that, given the kind of debate to follow, having a prayer is inappropriate. I would say if they paid more attention to prayers, it might improve debate.

"This is another way of pushing God out of the public area."

Fr Daly said he did not believe having prayers said by a chaplain of one religion would exclude or offend those of other faiths, or none.

"It just needs to be done with sensibility," he said.

"As far as I am aware, there are no ideas expressed in a prayer like `Our Father' that would be offensive. And councillors are not bound to attend as prayers are said."

Coun Parker, who is currently deputy mayor, is expected to be chosen to replace current mayor Peter Evans next spring. His election, while technically not a formality, is dictated by tradition.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, declined to comment on the row.